Jeff-
I enjoyed these quotes, thank you:
"Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern, which have come under my observation, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus." And "the very words only of Jesus...there will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man."
As pure as He is, and his teachings and example, it would seem to follow that men would take these up, wouldn't it? Some do, many don't. Because, I think, we teach each other that the words mean other than what they say. Or that there are exceptions. Why? To protect our way of life, or our wants, our belongings, our families, our jobs. Because so few people are willing to put Christ first, except when it is convenient to do so - even though putting Christ first means show loving for others. But it's even written that this would happen - narrow path and all, that few find.
Ghandi was a wise man also... and yet again, while people acknowledge this, few people are willing to sacrifice anything of theirs to follow what they believe is good and moral and wise. As for worshipping or deifying him - Ghandi never claimed to be God. In fact, neither did Christ - men made that claim for him - though it is written that he said He was the way through whom we go to see God.
I also don't think its religion that people are tired of... but the hypocrisy and teachings that are in opposition to Christ that can often be found within. The teachings and behavior that are not in sync with the love of Christ. People are escaping or fleeing from that (and some are wearying of the entire faith aspect as well). Those people who escape to embrace the love of Christ that they cannot find from men who have a) forgotten it, or b) never knew it to begin with, might not all be together in one place, but I think they are making up the Body of Christ. Quietly. Humbly. Showing love and mercy and kindness to all. Sometimes we do find one another and gather together, sometimes we simply carry on living the life that Christ asks of us.
Now to the matter of inspiration... :)
if we take the writings en masse, must we not accept that all, not just part, are correct, whether we view that as 'inspired' or not?
Short answer...
No.
Long answer as follows:
Take the bible en masse... and even the writings within it say that the scribes have handle the laws falsely. Even Christ is written to have noted that exceptions were made to laws to account for their limitations. To account for the hardening of their hearts. So if you take the bible as inerrant... well, you CAN'T take the bible as inerrant, even according to it.
The writings and the stories and the prophets all point to Christ. And so Christ is who we should listen to - and if He is the reflection of his Father, then we know God only through Christ. I'm not editing out the things I don't like, and it isn't in any way, a matter of saying the good outweighs the evil. I'm just looking at everything, through Christ - as a Christian, that is what I should be doing.
Using your death row inmate example... It is more of a finding his/her wise words or compassionate actions to show that the inmate never pulled the trigger on that child's head to begin with, and that there was no fit of rage - because it is against his nature. Or perhaps even that the mitigating circumstances that never came out in the trial were that one of two children had to die... or they would both have died, because the one would have killed the other and then others, and then finally gone on to kill himself.
Before you go on to say that there are many other ways that both children could be saved, and that he should have exhausted all of those methods first... love would decree that He did try, and none would have anything to do with it. (God, I am now talking about... not the death row inmate)
Are we not interested in the 'whole truth'? It seems not.
I agree. It doesn't seem so. To believe that someone (Jesus) is so pure - morally - and yet that pure person who expounded such morals as love, kindness and mercy above all else except for faith in Him and His Father... also loved a God of hate? This is a contradiction. But I follow that pure person, and He followed His Father. In fact I only truly loved God, when I loved Christ... and realized, sort of a wow moment, that Christ loved His Father.
And last, the Word of God is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But the Word of God is Christ... first in the flesh, now in the spirit. The Word of God is not the bible - the bible just tells us about him, and points us toward him. The rest is done 'in spirit'. I would also disagree that Christianity always had its basis in the bible - the bible wasn't even around in the beginning of Christianity. No, the basis of Christianity is Christ. Men went ahead and took the bible and made that the basis of what we now consider Christianity - instead of Christ, and instead of saying, these are the recordings we have of Christ, but it is the Spirit of Christ that we must seek and follow.
It requires faith, and that will always be the bottom line. We can see Christ, and so also the Father through him. Or we can see a book that points toward Christ, and yet never look beyond the ink and paper that its written upon - and so also never see the Father.
Peace also to you, Jeff,
Tammy